Marvel Collectors Item Classics

Marvel Collectors' Item Classics was published by Marvel Comics between February 1965 and August 1969, for 22 issues,
each one giant-sized (68 pages for 25 cents). This series represented the first reprinting of many of the earliest Marvel stories,
especially the 'important' stories such as popular characters' introductions and origins. Primarily focused on the Fantastic Four,
Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the Hulk, it ran 22 issues before becoming the regular-sized title Marvel's Greatest Comics, which
reprinted exclusively back issues of The Fantastic Four.

One of several giant-size comic books that supplemented Marvel's regular 36-page, 12-cent titles, Marvel Collectors' Item Classics
was published first as an annual publication in 1965. That first issue, dated February 1965, reprinted The Fantastic Four #2 (Jan. 1962)
and The Amazing Spider-Man #3 (July 1963), as well as the Ant-Man story from Tales to Astonish #36, and the first "Tales of Asgard"
featurette, from Journey into Mystery #97 (Oct. 1963). It was a sister publication of what was then the annual, giant-size reprint
comic Marvel Tales.

MCIC became a bimonthly series beginning with issue #2 (April 1966), which reprinted The Fantastic Four #3 (March 1962),
The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (Sept. 1963), and the Ant-Man story from Tales to Astonish #37 (Nov. 1962).

Dropping Spider-Man the following issue — with that superhero's stories going on to anchor Marvel Tales — the comic began reprinting
what would be its regular line-up: The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man stories from Tales of Suspense, and
Doctor Strange stories from Strange Tales. Six issues included short semi-anthological "Tales of the Watcher" science-fiction stories
hosted by and sometimes featuring Uatu, the Watcher.

The reprints were generally in serial order, with occasional skips; missing, for instance, are The Fantastic Four #5-6, already
reprinted in Fantastic Four Annual #2-3 (1964–1965); #11, already partly reprinted in Annual #3; #12, never reprinted at the time; #19,
reprinted in heavily edited form in the 1967 promotional one-shot America's Best TV Comics; and #25-26, reprinted in
Fantastic Four Annual #4 (1966).

The covers of issues #1-11 each reprinted two to four covers of the comics reprinted inside. Issues of The Incredible Hulk were not
reprinted in full, but generally as chapters spread across two to three issues apiece.